Firstly, please identify what type of problem you are having:
Option 1Good news - line dropouts are usually solved easily. Please read the following checklist thoroughly.
Note: If you are using a KTX 28.8 modem the following information may not apply to you. Please contact our HelpDesk for advice.
| Turn off Call Waiting | Call Waiting causes "pips" on the phone line if somebody calls your number when you are connected to the Internet. The "pips" will cause your modem to lose connection. Action: Turn off Call Waiting before using the Internet. To turn it off, dial #43# on your telephone. (If you need to turn it on later, dial *43#) |
| Unplug your telephones | Some telephones interfere with the modem signal and can cause your modem to disconnect from the Internet. The "Telecom T200" telephone (with the flat membrane keys) is notorious. Action: Unplug all your telephones from their sockets before using your modem. |
| Listen for static | Do you ever hear "static" when talking on the telephone? If you do, it will certainly interfere with your modem and cause it to drop out. To quickly test for static: Pick up your telephone handset, wait for the dial tone, and dial number 1. Hold one hand over the mouthpiece. You should hear nothing. If you hear erratic background noise (static), your line needs to be repaired. Sometimes the static only occurs during or after rainfall. This is because water can seep into the telephone copper wire and cause interference. These problems can only be fixed by an authorised technician (contact your phone company). |
| Avoid Extension Cords; try another Socket. | Faulty wiring inside your house can cause interference. If you are using an extension cable to connect your modem to the socket, try plugging the modem directly into the socket (ie. without the extension cable). If you have multiple sockets in your house, try connecting the modem to another socket - preferably the "master socket" which leads in from the street. This is usually closest to the front of the house. |
| Get your line tested | The cable between your modem and the telephone exchange can be many kilometres long - often with numerous "joins" along the way. Contact your telephone company and ask them to perform a "MOLDS" test. It should not cost anything. The MOLDS test will help identify any problems with your line. Line problems need to be fixed by the telephone company. Action: Contact your telephone company (Telstra ph. 132200) and ask for a MOLDS test. Tell them your modem is dropping out. |
| Reduce Speed | It's possible that your modem is operating too fast for your phone line to handle. This is often a problem if you are a long distance from the telephone exchange (ie. in rural areas and some older suburbs). To improve reliability, try connecting at a lower speed. We have a special access number which is speed limited to 33.6K. (It might sound slower than 56K, but robust 33.6K is faster than a poor 56K connection!) Action: If you live in Melbourne, try our (03) 9641-6003 number, which is speed limited to 33.6K. If it works, keep using it! If you live outside Melbourne, contact our HelpDesk for assistance. |
| Upgrade your Firmware | Manufacturers of 56K modems frequently update their modem firmware (software inside the modem) to improve connection reliability. These updates are available from the manufacturer - by telephone or often from their web site. The updates are normally self-installing and require very little skill. Action: If you are using a 56K modem, contact the manufacturer and ask for a firmware update. Check our list of manufacturers here. If you are using a no-brand 56K modem, you will need to contact the company you purchased it from. |
| Try a different modem | If possible, borrow a different brand of modem from a friend, work, etc. Try it with your computer and phone line. Your own modem may be faulty or incompatible with your phone line. |
| Contact our HelpDesk | If you're still having trouble please contact our HelpDesk! |
Poor connections can be caused by many factors - we've listed the most common below.
Please read the read the following checklist thoroughly.
Note: If you are using a KTX 28.8 modem the following information may not apply to you. Please contact our HelpDesk for advice.
| Unplug your telephones | Some telephones interfere with the modem signal and can cause your modem to disconnect from the Internet.
The "Telecom T200" telephone (with the flat membrane keys) is notorious. Action: Unplug all your telephones from their sockets, before using your modem. |
| Listen for static | Do you ever hear "static" when talking on the telephone? If you do, it will certainly interefere with your modem and cause it to dropout.
To quickly test for static: Pickup your telephone handset, wait for dialtone, and dial number 1. Hold one hand over the mouthpiece. You should hear nothing. If you hear erratic background noise (static) your line needs repair. Sometimes the static only occurs during or after rainfall. This is because water can seep into the telephone copper wire and cause interference. These problems can only be fixed by an authorised techician (contact your phone company). |
| Avoid Extension Cords; Try another Socket. | Faulty wiring inside your house can cause interference.
If you are using an extension cable to connect your modem to the socket, try plugging the modem directly into the socket (ie. without the extension cable). If you have multiple sockets in your house, try connecting the modem to another socket - preferably the "master socket" which leads in from the street. This is usually closest to the front of the house. |
| Get your line tested | The cable between your modem and the telephone
exchange can be many kilometres long - often with numerous "joins" along the way.
Contact your telephone company and ask them to perform a "MOLDS" test. It should not cost anything. The MOLDS test will help identify any problems with your line. Line problems need to be fixed by the telephone company. Action: Contact your telephone company (Telstra ph. 132200) and ask for a MOLDS test. Tell them your modem is dropping out. |
| Reduce Speed | It's possible that your modem is operating too fast for your phone line to handle. This is often a problem if you are a long distance from the telephone exchange (ie. in rural areas and some older suburbs). To improve reliability, try connecting at a lower speed.
We have a special access number which is speed limited to 33.6K. (It might sound slower than 56K, but robust 33.6K is faster than a poor 56K connection!) Action: In Melbourne try our (03) 9641-6003 number which is speed limited to 33.6K. If it works, keep using it! |
| Upgrade your Firmware | Manufacturers of 56K modems frequently update
their modem firmware (software inside the modem) to improve
connection reliability.
These updates are available from the manufacturer - by telephone or often from their web site. The updates are normally self-installing and require very little skill. Action: If you are using a 56K modem, contact the manufacturer and ask for a firmware update.Check our list of manufacturers here. If you are using a no-brand 56K modem, you will need to contact the company you purchased it from. |
| Try a different modem | If possible, borrow a different brand of modem and try it with your computer and phone line. Your own modem may be faulty or incompatible with your phone line. |
| Try calling our other POPs | It's possible that a problem exists between
your telephone exchange and our telephone exchange.
This is a problem beyond our control, but once we know about it, we can lobby Telstra to have it fixed. To identify whether this problem exists, you need to try calling one of our other locations. You will incur STD charges, so it's important to keep the call short (ie less than 1 or 2 minutes). Only try once, and contact our HelpDesk to report the results. |
| Contact our HelpDesk | If you're still having trouble please contact our HelpDesk! |
Nobody has ever connected at exactly 56K (56,000 bps). That's because 56K is the maximum, theoretical speed of your modem. In real life the connection speed is limited to practical issues - like your phone line.
Generally a 56K modem should connect between 40K and 50K (40,000 bps and 50,000 bps). We have found that Netcomm, Banksia, and US Robotics modems provide the fastest and most reliable connections.
If your 56K modem is connecting at less than 40K (40,000), you can try to increase connection speeds by following this checklist:
| Avoid Extension Cords; Try another Socket. | Suspect wiring inside your house can cause interference & poor speeds.
If you are using an extension cable to connect your modem to the socket, try plugging the modem directly into the socket (ie. without the extension cable). If you have multiple sockets in your house, try connecting the modem to another socket - preferably the "master socket" which leads in from the street. This is usually closest to the front of the house. |
| Get your line tested | The cable between your modem and the telephone exchange can be many kilometres long - often with numerous "joins" along the way.
Contact your telephone company and ask them to perform a "MOLDS" test. It should not cost anything. The MOLDS test will help identify any problems with your line. Line problems need to be fixed by the telephone company. Action: Contact your telephone company (Telstra ph. 132200) and ask for a MOLDS test. Tell them your modem is performing poorly. |
| Upgrade your Firmware | Manufacturers of 56K modems frequently update their modem firmware (software inside the modem) to improve connection reliability and speed. These updates are available from the manufacturer - by telephone or often from their web site. The updates are normally self-installing and require very little skill. Action: If you are using a 56K modem, contact the manufacturer and ask for a firmware update. Check our list of manufacturers here. If you are using a no-brand 56K modem, you will need to contact the company you purchased it from. |
To help solve your modem woes we have compiled a table of modem manufacturers. Where possible we have included their support phone number and web site address (click on the Manufacturer's name to access their Web page). If your modem is unlisted, please telephone your modem's supplier, and e-mail us the information so we can include it in our table for other customers!
| Manufacturer | Support telephone |
|---|---|
| 3Com | 1800 644 606 |
| AusLinx ABC | 1300 655 675 |
| AusLinx Tasmanian Devil | 1300 655 675 |
| Avtek | (02) 9870-2332 |
| Banksia | (02) 9870-2332 |
| Diamond Supra | |
| Dynalink | 1800 653 962 |
| Global Village | |
| Hayes | Bankrupt March 1999 |
| KTX | |
| Maestro | (02) 6230-3105 |
| Netcomm | (02) 9870-2332 |
| Simple Computing | (02) 9870-2332 |
| Spirit Modems | |
| US Robotics | 1800 644 606 |
| Web Excel | |
| Xstreama |
In its default configuration, Windows 98 may take up to 1 minute to verify your username and password when connecting to Connexus. This is caused by the Windows 98 operation system, not by Connexus. (Neither Windows 95 nor Windows NT exhibit this delay).
To eliminate this long delay, follow these simple steps:
Your password should now verify within a more tolerable time, usually 10–20 seconds.
Our national dial-up number is 0198 307 178 for speeds up to 56K, local call charges from most locations (except mobiles and ISDN lines)
You are responsible for the cost of calls to Connexus. If you're calling from outside the metropolitan area, STD charges may apply. For call cost enquiries please contact your telephone provider (Telstra phone 1411 1222, Optus phone 1300 300 937).
Connexus maintains a record of all incoming calls. We may receive the calling party's number, even when the number is blocked. This information is used for billing, call management, credit control and fraud prevention.
The Connexus dial-up number is normally programmed into your computer. Here are some basic guidelines for changing the phone number which your computer is using:
Downloading from the internet is a popular pastime for many Connexus members. There's nothing more frustrating than having your download interrupted. This can happen for many different reasons, for example:
If your connection to Connexus regularly drops out, please read our Dropout Troubleshooting guide, and contact our HelpDesk if problems persist. Connexus has no time limits or cut-offs, therefore you should generally experience a very fast & reliable connection.
But there's a hidden gem which makes downloading more reliable and enjoyable. It's called a Download Manager. These programs can "resume" downloads from where they stopped, instead of needing to start the entire download again.
How to obtain a Download ManagerThere are many Download Managers to choose from - the best place to look is on Connexus Tucows. If you're in a hurry, we suggest you try a Download Manager called GetRight. GetRight is free software and we've found it very reliable. You can download GetRight by clicking below:
For Macintosh users: Unfortunately we haven't found a Mac Download Manager which matches GetRight's features. If you have any suggestions, please e-mail us. You can browse our gigabytes of Macintosh software on Connexus TucowsMac.
How to use GetRight (Windows)After downloading GetRight you'll need to install the software - by double-clicking on the GetRight program file (usually named getrgt.exe). During the installation procedure, follow the defaults (keep hitting Next). You do not need to configure any Proxy servers.
Once installed, GetRight will appear in your "system tray" (next to the clock). The icon looks like a blue dot inside a ring.
Next time you download a file from the Internet, GetRight will automatically take control of the download. If your download is interrupted, simply double-click the GetRight icon (in the system tray). A list of the interrupted downloads will appear; simply click the file you'd like to resume, then click the blue "Resume" arrow in the top left corner. It's very simple.
Advanced GetRight features GetRight supports some advanced features, like unattended downloads, automatic disconnections upon completion of downloads, download queueing, and much more. You'll find instructions under the Help menu in GetRight.
Please note the following limitations which apply to GetRight's advanced features:
